Bin Laden Writes A letter

By Cernig

Rumors of Osama Bin Forgotten's demise may be - yet again- exaggerated. The brother of killed Taliban honcho, Mullah Dadullah, says he has a letter from Bin Laden written sometime in the last month and expressing his condolences.

Speaking from Afghanistan, Haji Mansour Dadullah told Al-Jazeera television station that Bin Laden had said he was keeping a low media profile to maintain his safety.

"These are just military tactics. He prefers not to appear [in public] because if he appeared in the media or met people he might face danger," he said. "He is alive, active and well."

The last message purportedly from Bin Laden to the media was an audio eulogy in June last year following the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq.

Haji Mansour Dadullah claimed he had also been in contact with Bin Laden. He told the Dubai-based broadcaster that he had urged Bin Laden not to meet anyone and "to stay in hiding and continue to give directives ... so that al-Qaida stays active in Afghanistan and the world".

Sitting in a field, Haji Dadullah said Bin Laden "told me to follow in the steps of my brother and urged Muslims to follow the steps of Mullah Dadullah because he was a mujahid".

Bush and the 28%-ers would love Bin Laden to just up and die - as long as he's alive he's a thorny reminder of how they derailled the war on terror for a misadventure in Iraq. That's why the extreme right always piles on every rumor of Osama's death with such gusto. The rest of us are more circumspect because we would rather be sure he is dead or better yet captured.